Episode 3: "Tooth and Claw"
Chapter 4: Revelations in the Victorian Era
"What do you think of this? Will it do?" Rose asked the Doctor as he walked by. He looked at her outfit. She was in a short, overall dress, tights, and boots. She had a pink t-shirt underneath her dress.
"The late 1970's. You'd be better off in a bin bag," the Doctor said. "Hold on, listen to this." The Doctor started playing music. I grinned, hearing it.
"Ian Dury and the Blockheads," I said. The Doctor smiled.
"That's right. Number one in 1979," he said.
"You're a punk," Rose said to the both of us. "Aren't you going to change, Viv?" I shook my head.
"He didn't, so I didn't," I said. Rose rolled her eyes, but smiled.
"I forgot about that," she admitted. I looked down at myself. I was in my normal jeans, tank top, combat boots, and jean jacket. My hair was in a side braid and I finally remembered the put on my glasses right away this morning. Rose and I turned to the Doctor, he was singing along with the music.
"That's what you are," Rose continued, this time, only to the Doctor. "A big, old punk with a bit of rockabilly thrown in."
"Do you want to go and see him?" the Doctor asked.
"How do you mean, in concert?" Rose asked.
"What else is the TARDIS for?" I heard the TARDIS give an indignant hum and I giggled.
"It's okay, baby girl. I know you're so much more than that," I assured her, stroking the rotor. She hummed again, it sounded like a "thank you."
"Hold on tight!" the Doctor said. My eyes widened and I was thrown to the ground as the TARDIS lurched forward. I quickly stood up and my eyes widened again when I saw the Doctor hitting the console with a mallet.
"Oi! Don't hit her!" I scolded. The Doctor ignored me.
"Landing!" he yelled. The TARDIS landed roughly and the three of us were thrown to the ground. I gave an "oof" when the Doctor landed on top of me. I blushed like mad and the Doctor looked down at me. Rose was laughing next to us. Though, I wasn't sure if she was laughing in general, or laughing at the Doctor and me.
"1979," the Doctor said jumping up. He offered me a hand and hoisted me up. "Hell of a year! China invades Vietnam. The Muppet Movie, love that film. Margaret Thatcher. Skylab falls to Earth with a little help from me. Nearly took off my thumb, and I like my thumb. I need my thumb. I'm very attached to… my thumb." The Doctor paused slightly as we stepped out of the TARDIS. There were soldiers clad in red in front of us. They cocked their guns and the Doctor, Rose, and I slowly put our hands up. "1879."
"Same thing," I said. The Doctor bit back a laugh.
"You will explain your presence and the nakedness of this girl," the front man, the Captain said referring to Rose. She looked down at herself. I guess she could be considered rather naked for 1879.
"Are we in Scotland?" the Doctor asked taking on a perfect Scottish accent. I smiled and rolled my eyes at him.
"Of course we are," I replied in an equally good accent. The Doctor looked pleasantly surprised. "You're a wee absentminded today, aren't you?"
"Well, I'm dazed and confused. I've been chasing this wee naked child over hill and over dale," the Doctor said. "Isn't that right, you timorous beastie?"
"Och, aye. I've been oot and aboot," Rose said in a terrible Scottish accent. I bit back giggles.
"No, don't do that," the Doctor said.
"Hoots, mon?"
"No, really don't. Really."
"Will you identify yourself, sir?" the Captain requested.
"I'm Doctor James McCrimmon from the township of Balamory. This here is Miss Evelyn Viviana Davis, my assistant. I have my credentials, if I may?" The man nodded and the Doctor pulled out the psychic paper.
'Again with the "assistant" thing,' I told him.
"As you can see, a doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. I trained under Doctor Bell himself," the Doctor told the Captain while ignoring me.
"Let them approach," a woman said. Her voice came from inside the carriage.
"I don't think that's wise, ma'am," the Captain replied.
"Let them approach."
"You will approach the carriage, and show all due deference." We walked up to the carriage and the carriage approached to reveal an older, regal looking woman. My eyes widened as I recognized her.
"Evy, Rose, might I introduce Her Majesty Queen Victoria, Empress of India and Defender of the Faith."
"Evelyn Viviana Davis, Your Majesty," I said with a curtsy. She nodded at me.
"Rose Tyler, ma'am." Rose followed with a curtsey of her own. "My apologies for being so naked."
"I've had five daughters," Queen Victoria said. "It's nothing to me. But you, Doctor. Show me these credentials." The Doctor handed her the psychic paper. "Why didn't you say so immediately? It states clearly here that you have been appointed by the Lord Provost as my protector."
"Does it?" the Doctor asked quietly. "Yes, it does. Good. Good. Erm, then let me ask, why is Your Majesty travelling by road when there's a road all the way to Aberdeen?" The Doctor took on a Scottish accent again.
"A tree on the line," the Queen said.
"An accident?" the Doctor asked.
"I am the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Everything around me tends to be planned."
"An assassination attempt," I realized.
"What, seriously? There's people out to kill you?" Rose asked.
"I'm quite used to staring down the barrel of a gun," the Queen told her.
"Sir Robert MacLeish lives but 10 miles hence," a guard told the Queen. "We've sent word ahead. He'll shelter us for tonight, then we can reach Balmoral tomorrow."
"This Doctor, his assistant, and his timorous beastie will come with us," the Queen declared.
"Yes, ma'am. We'd better get moving. It's almost nightfall."
"Indeed, and there are stories of wolves in these parts." The Queen gave us a small smile which we returned. "Fanciful tales, intended to scare the children, but good for the blood, I think. Drive on." The door of the carriage closed and the three of us started walking behind it.
"It's funny though," Rose said. "Because you say assassination, and you think of Kennedy and stuff, not her."
"1879? She's had, oh, six attempts on her life," the Doctor said. "And I'll tell you something else."
"What?" Rose and I asked at the same time.
"We just met Queen Victoria!"
"I know!" The three of us laughed.
"What a laugh!"
"She was just sitting there," Rose breathed.
"Like a stamp," the Doctor added.
"I want her to say, 'We are not amused,'" Rose said putting on a posh British accent. I snickered, I had been thinking the same thing. "I bet you 5 quid I can make her say it."
"Well, if I gambled on that, it would be an abuse of my privilege as a traveler in time," the Doctor said.
"10 quid?"
"Done."
"Viv, you want in?" I thought for a minute.
"I bet that she'll say it, just when we least expect it," I said. Rose nodded.
"You're on!" Soon enough, we arrived at a large estate and that's where we were to be staying for the night. The three of us stood to the side as a man came out of the house and bowed before the Queen.
"Your Majesty," he said.
"Sir Robert," she greeted. "My apologies for the emergency. And how is Lady Isobel?"
"She's… indisposed, I'm afraid." I noticed Robert's hesitation in answering and frowned slightly. "She's gone to Edinburgh for the season, and she's taken the cook with her, the kitchen's are barely stocked. I wouldn't blame Your Majesty if you wanted to ride on." The Doctor and I exchanged a look.
"Not at all. I've had quite enough carriage exercise, and this is charming, if rustic," the Queen replied, not noticing Robert's discomfort. I eyed the staff of the house. Every single one of them was male and every single one of them gave me the creeps. "This is my first visit to this house. My late husband spoke of it often, the Torchwood Estate. Now, shall we go inside? And please excuse the naked girl."
"Sorry," Rose said with a sheepish smile.
"She's a feral child," the Doctor said, once again taking on a Scottish accent. "I bought her for sixpence in old London town. It was her of the Elephant Man, so…"
'She's going to give you hell for that later,' I told the Doctor.
"Thinks he's funny," Rose spoke up, "but I am so not amused. What do you think, ma'am?" I bit back a laugh as the Queen eyed her.
"It hardly matters. Shall we proceed?"
"So close," Rose grumbled.
"Mackeson and Ramsey, you will escort the property. Hurry up," the Captain said to them. One of the men reached into the carriage and brought out a small, locked box. The two men brought it inside and I exchanged a confused look with the Doctor and Rose.
"So what's in there, then?" the Doctor asked.
"Property of the Crown. You will dismiss any further thoughts, sir," the Captain told him. "The rest of you go to the rear of the house. Assume the designated positions." The Doctor, Rose, and I followed Robert and the Queen through the house.
"This, I take it, is the famous endeavour," the Queen said when we came into an open room. There was a large, telescope looking contraption pointing out the window. It was beautiful.
"All my father's work. Built by hand in his final years," Robert told her. "It became something of an obsession. He spent his money on this, rather than caring for the house of himself."
"I wish I'd met him," the Doctor said. "I like him. That thing's beautiful, can I…?"
"Help yourself," Robert replied. The Doctor, Rose, and I went forward to look at it.
"What did he model it on?" the Doctor asked.
"I know nothing about it," Robert said. Well, that was a little disappointing. I was hoping to find out more information on the thing. "To be honest, most of us thought him a little, shall we say, eccentric."
"Eccentric, maybe. But look at this. Sir, Robert, your father was brilliant!" I complimented while looking at the telescope.
"I wish now I'd spent more time with him and listened to his stories," Robert said.
"It's a bit rubbish," the Doctor said. My eyes widened at his rudeness. "How many prisms has it got? Way to many! The magnification's gone right over the top. That's a stupid kind of…" The Doctor saw me looking at him. "Am I being rude again?"
"Very," I answered.
"But it's pretty! It's very pretty," the Doctor hurried to say.
"And the imagination of it should be applauded," the Queen spoke up.
"Hmm. I thought you might disapprove, Your Majesty. Stargazing. Isn't that a bit fanciful?" I knew Rose was trying to get her to say it, but I pouted. I loved stargazing. I felt amusement coming from the Doctor and saw him looking at me with an amused smile on his face.
'What are you laughing at?' I asked him.
'That adorable little pout on your face.' My eyes widened and I turned away to hide my blush. I felt even more amusement coming from the Doctor and I scowled at him.
"This device surveys the infinite work of God," the Queen continued. "What could be finer? Sir Robert's father was an example to us all, a polymath, steeped in astronomy and the sciences, yet equally well-versed in folklore and fairytales."
"Stars and magic. I like him more and more," the Doctor commented.
"Oh, my late husband enjoyed his company," the Queen said. "Prince Albert himself was acquainted with many rural superstitions, coming as he did from Saxe-Coburg. When Albert was told about your local wolf he was transported."
"So what's this wolf, then?" the Doctor asked Robert.
"It's just a story," he replied. I noticed his hesitation to talk about the wolf.
"I rather like stories," I said putting my accent back on. Robert looked extremely uncomfortable, but opened his mouth. However, one of his staff, Angelo, cut him off before he could really say anything.
"Excuse me, sir. Perhaps Her Majesty's party could repair to their rooms. It's almost dark." I looked at Angelo, confused as to why he was preventing Robert from telling a story. That's all it was, right? A story… unless…
"Of course. Yes, of course," Robert said. He looked relieved that he didn't have to tell us about the wolf after all and smiled.
"And then supper," the Queen said. "And could we find some clothes for Miss Tyler? I'm tired of nakedness. Perhaps Miss Davis should change too, seeing as how she is dressed like a man." I bit back a scowl at that, but remembered what time period I was in.
"It's not amusing, is it?" Rose tried. The Queen merely stared at her before turning back to Robert.
"Sir Robert, your wife must've left some clothes. See to it," she ordered. Rose frowned at her failed attempt. "We shall dine at 7:00, and talk some more of this wolf. After all, there is a full moon tonight."
"So there is, ma'am," Robert replied with a forced smile. He bowed and she walked out of the room. Rose and I were led to two separate rooms, but once I got a change, I started making my way towards her room. However, on the way there, I ran across a soldier. He was on the ground, passed out. I rushed towards him, but before I could get there, I was grabbed from behind. I opened my mouth to scream, but the man clamped a hand over my mouth. The scream came out muffled and quiet. I thrashed and kicked against him, but he was too strong and I was dragged away. Soon, I was chained up in some type of cellar with a dozen or so other people. There was a cage in front of us, inside it, was a man. He had a cloak on, the hood was up, and he seemed to be meditating. Seconds later, the door of the cellar opened and my eyes widened when I saw Rose. She and a maid were chained up next to me. Rose and I clasped hands, but remained silent as we stared at the man in the cage.
"Don't make a sound," a lady said. I think it was Lady Isobel. So that's why Robert was so uncomfortable talking about her. He knew she was down here… he knew about the staff and they were threatening him. "They said if we scream or shout, then he will slaughter us."
"But he's in a cage," Rose said. "He's prisoner. He's the same as us."
"No, Rose," I whispered. "He's not." The man gave me a seriously strong bad feeling. He scared me and all I wanted to do was run away from him.
"He's nothing like us," Isobel said. "That creature is not mortal." The young man raised his head and opened his eyes. Everyone cringed and looked away. I bit back a scream when I saw that his eyes were completely black. Rose squeezed my hand and stood up.
"Rose, what are you doing?" I hissed.
"Don't, child," Isobel warned. She ignored us and I sighed. I cursed quietly and stood up as well, not about to let Rose face that thing alone. She and I walked as far as our chains would let us before speaking to him.
"Who are you?" Rose asked.
"Don't enrage him," a man told us.
"Where are you from?" Rose continued. She knelt down and I followed.
"We know you're not from Earth, so where are you from?" I asked.
"Oh, intelligence," the young man replied. His voice was slow and not very deep, but very, very creepy.
"Where were you born?" Rose asked.
"This body? Ten miles away. A weakling, heartsick boy, stolen away at night by the Brethren for my cultivation." I scowled in disgust. "I carved out his soul and sat in his heart."
"All right, so the body's human," Rose said. "What about you, the thing inside?"
"So far from home," he said.
"If you want to get back home, we can help," Rose offered.
"Why would I leave this place? A world of industry, of workforce and warfare. I could turn it to such purpose."
"How?" I asked.
"I would migrate to the Holy Monarch." My eyes widened.
"Queen Victoria," I breathed.
"With one bite, I would pass into her blood. And then it begins, the Empire of the Wolf. So many questions." Suddenly, he lurched forward. I released a small scream, along with half the women in the cellar and jumped back. Rose gasped and grabbed my hand, which I gladly squeezed back. "Look! Inside your eyes. The two of you have seen it, too."
"Seen what?" Rose asked as my eyes widened.
"The wolf. There is something of the wolf about you two," he said. Rose and I exchanged nervous looks.
"We don't know what you mean," Rose denied.
"Oh, you burnt like the sun," he said to Rose, "but all I require is the moon." He turned to me. "And you, you burnt even brighter than she did. You still burn bright, with the sun and the moon. A Solis and a Noctis." My eyes widened and I was stunned silent. Rose froze and looked at me nervously.
"Viv…" she whispered. Her voice shook and I squeezed her hand.
"The Lost Princess, perhaps," the young man continued. I merely stared at him. "You're the last of them. I've heard things about the last of the Incolae. I've heard the prophecy. The Nyx Oriana."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," I lied. Rose and everyone else in the cellar were staring at me. The young man laughed as he saw through my lie. It chilled me to the very core and I felt my hair stand up and goose bumps arise on my skin.
"I remember this nursery rhyme. It's not about you, but I suppose I can modify it." The young man began to sing. It was a creepy melody that sounded even creepier when he was singing it. "Tick tock, goes the clock. We laughed at fate, he mourned her. Tick tock, goes the clock, for Nyx Oriana."
"Stop," I said firmly.
"Tick tock, goes the clock. He cradled and he rocked her. Tick tock, goes the clock, for Nyx Oriana."
"Stop it!" I yelled. The young man laughed again, but stopped when the door of the cellar opened. Moonlight poured into the room and fell on him.
"Moonlight," he said. Rose and I scrambled back towards everyone else, me shaking from what just happened. The young man shed his cloak and began to change in front of our eyes.
"All of you, stop looking at him! Flora, don't look, listen to me. Grab hold of the chain and pull," Rose instructed. I brought myself out of my stupor and did as she said. I knew what she had in mind. Soon, everyone stood up and began to pull on the chain, except Lady Isobel.
"Hey, Lady Isobel," I said softly to her. She looked at me, fearful tears filling her eyes. "I know you're scared. Hey, look at me, the wolf just taunted me with my death right in front of all of you, but right now, we have to focus on getting out of here. We escape, you get to see Sir Robert again. How does that sound? Now, come on." Isobel put on a brave face and shot me a small, thankful smile before standing up to help pull on the chain.
"One, two, three, pull!" Rose yelled. Everyone pulled on the chain.
"Come on, everyone! One, two, three, pull!" I yelled. Within a minute or so, the young man had transformed into a large, fierce wolf.
"One, two, three, pull!" Rose and I called at the same time. With that last yank, the chain pulled free of the wall. Suddenly, the Doctor and Robert burst through the door.
"Where the hell have you been?"
"About bloody time!" Rose and I spoke at the same time. However, the Doctor was staring at the wolf.
"Oh, that's beautiful," he breathed.
"Everyone out!" I yelled as the wolf began breaking through the cage. Everyone ran from the cellar, the Doctor, Rose, and I following after all of them had made it safely out. The Doctor closed the door and locked it with the sonic. Right after that, I heard the wolf released a chilling howl. Once we were a safe distance away, the men started loading guns to defend themselves with and the women were to hide away and wait. Isobel shared a desperate kiss with Robert before she joined the women and ran. The Doctor soniced off Rose's and my shackles.
"Could be any form of light-modulating species triggered by specific wavelengths," he said about the wolf. "Did it say what it wanted?"
"The Queen, the throne, the crown. You name it," Rose answered. The Doctor had just gotten off my shackles when there was a loud bang coming from the hallway. Everyone fell silent and looked at each other nervously. The Doctor went into the hallway to have a look, only to come back running seconds later. There was a loud growl and the Doctor grabbed my hand. I had barely enough time to grab onto Rose before the Doctor pulled us out of the line of fire. The wolf came into the room and the men began shooting at it. The wolf gave a small howl of pain before going back the way it came.
"All right, you men. We should retreat upstairs. Come with me," the Doctor instructed. The man who seemed to be in charge, the Steward, faced him.
"I'll not retreat," he said firmly. "The battle's done. There's no creature on God's Earth that could survive such an assault."
"I'm telling you, come upstairs!" the Doctor insisted.
"And I'm telling you, sir. I will sleep well tonight with that thing's hide upon my wall." The Steward looking into the hallway, completely calm and confident. I closed my eyes, praying the bad feeling in my gut was only hunger.
"It must've crawled away to die," the Steward said. Not a second later, the wolf grabbed the Steward and raised him to the ceiling.
"There's nothing we can do!" the Doctor quickly said before grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the room. Rose quickly followed and we ran through the house. Robert was not far behind us.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!" Robert yelled when he saw her. She was coming down the stairs.
"Sir Robert, what's happening?" she asked. "I heard such terrible noises."
"Your Majesty, we've got to get out," he replied. "But what of Father Angelo, is he still here?"
"Captain Reynolds disposed of him," the Queen said.
"The front door's no good. It's been boarded shut," the Doctor said. "Pardon me, your Majesty, you'll have to leg it out of a window."
"Probably not the best idea," I said. I was looking out the window. There were monks outside, Father Angelo's monks I believe. All of them were armed and were looking very dangerous. They were keeping us inside the house. The Doctor followed my gaze and nodded.
"Nevermind. I reckon the monky-boys want us to stay inside," he said.
"Do they know who I am?" the Queen asked.
"Yeah, that's why they want you," Rose replied.
"The wolf wants to give you a bite," I continued. "And not a love bite."
"Now, stop this talk. There can't be an actual wolf," the Queen insisted. Right after she said that, all of us heard a loud howl. The five of us whirled around towards the direction it came from, our eyes wide. The Doctor and I dashed out of the room, the others following. My bad feeling got worse when I saw the door the Doctor had locked, starting to break.
"What do we do?" Rose asked.
"We run," the Doctor and I answered.
"Is that it?" Rose asked, an almost disappointed tone to her voice. Well, I don't know what she was thinking, but I sure as hell wanted to get as far away from that wolf as possible. What it had said and sang was still ringing through my ears.
"You got any silver bullets?" the Doctor asked.
"Not on me, no," Rose said like it was obvious.
"Well there we are then, we run. Your Majesty, as a doctor, I recommend a vigorous jog." He jogged in place to show her. "Good for the health, come on." He offered her his hand and she took it. His other hand automatically found mine as the five of us ran up the stairs. I heard the wolf finally break down the door with a snarl. It sent shivers up my spine. The Doctor must've noticed my fear and gave my hand a squeeze.
"Come on! Come on!" the Doctor urged. He let go of my hand and fell towards the back, watching the wolf's progress as he ran behind us. My eyes widened as I saw Reynolds in front of us, his gun drawn. Rose and I ducked and the Doctor dove down right before he shot the wolf. The wolf retreated.
"I'll take this position and hold it," Reynolds said. "You keep moving, for God's sake. Your Majesty, I went to look for the property and it was taken. The chest was empty."
"I have it. It's safe," the Queen assured him. I didn't know what they were talking about, but at the time, I didn't care. I slowly began to regain my breath as we stood in the hallway.
"Then remove yourself, ma'am. Doctor, you stand as Her Majesty's protector. And you, Sir Robert. You're a traitor to the Crown."
"Bullets can't stop it," the Doctor told Reynolds as he cocked his gun.
"They'll buy you time," Reynolds merely said.
"Please, Captain Reynolds," I begged. I felt my eyes fill with tears, I didn't want anyone else to die today. "Please, just come with us." He looked at me briefly before shaking his head.
"Just go. Run!" The Doctor, the Queen, Robert, Rose, and I ran into the library and waited as Reynolds shot at the wolf. A few seconds later, I heard screaming and growls… and the tears of fabric and flesh. I swallowed back bile as the Doctor, Rose, and Robert barricaded the door of the library.
"Wait a minute," the Doctor whispered. "Shh. Wait, wait, wait. Shh." There was a howl, but it sounded distant. "It stopped." The Doctor pressed his ear to the door and listened for a few seconds. "It's gone."
"Listen," Rose said. There were a few snarls and stomps.
"Is this the only door?" the Doctor whispered to Robert.
"Yes. No!" My eyes widened and I quickly went to help the Doctor and Robert barricade the other door. I could hear the wolf on the other side of it and forced myself to work faster. We quickly finished and waited in silence. I heard the sound of wood creaking and the wolf panting. There was one last snarl before we heard retreating footsteps. I frowned in confusion. We had only barricaded the doors, not laced them with poison.
"I don't understand, what's stopping it?" Rose asked, thinking along the same lines as me.
"Something inside this room," the Doctor replied. He was looking around, trying to figure out what it was. I merely went and sat down, still feeling extremely shaken. Robert looked at me in concern, but I ignored him. "What is it? Why can't it get in?"
"I'll tell you what, though," Rose said.
"What?"
"Werewolf."
"I know!" They laughed and high-fived. "You all right?" the Doctor asked her.
"I'm okay, yeah," Rose replied. I probably would've been reacting the same way as them… if the wolf hadn't taunted me like he had.
"I'm sorry, ma'am," Robert spoke to the Queen. We all turned to him. It's all my fault. I should have sent you away. I tried to suggest something was wrong. I thought you might notice. Did you think there was nothing strange about my household staff?"
"Well, they were bald, athletic," the Doctor spoke. "Your wife's away. I just thought you were happy."
"I'll tell you what though, ma'am. I bet you're not amused now." I mentally face-palmed. This was not the time to try and get Queen Victoria to say it.
"Do you think this funny?" the Queen snapped. Rose looked ashamed.
"No, ma'am, I'm sorry," she apologized.
"What, exactly, I pray, tell me, someone, please, what exactly is that creature?"
"You'd call it a werewolf, but technically it's more of a lupine wavelength haemovariform," the Doctor said.
"And should I trust you, sir? You and Miss Davis who change your voices so easily? What happened to your accents?" In that moment, the Doctor and I realized we had completely forgotten about our fake accents.
"Oh, right, sorry-"
"I'll not have it!" the Queen cut off the Doctor. "No, sir. Not you, not that thing, none of it. This is not my world." The room fell silent as the Queen finished her little speech.
'What's wrong, Evy?' the Doctor asked. I almost jumped at the sound of his voice in my head, having been so deep in thought.
'Nothing that's important right now,' I answered.
'Evy...' I sighed.
'Remember when my dad showed up in Downing Street and told me something that I couldn't tell you? Remember how I promised to tell you someday?'
'Of course.'
'Well, today is not that day.' I felt a wave of hurt coming from the Doctor wash over me and I felt guilty. 'Look, Doctor, I know you don't like that I keep some secrets from you. But, you aren't exactly secret-free either and I accept that. You should at least be able to pay me the same kindness.' The Doctor didn't reply and I put my head in my knees.
"Viv…?" I heard. I looked up and saw Rose standing there, a nervous look on her face. "Can we talk?"
"Of course," I answered. I pulled up another chair for Rose and she sat down. "What's on your mind?" Rose took a deep breath before talking.
"It's about what the wolf said. What did me mean? Was any of it true? What did it mean? Are you going to die?" I froze, but knew she would see right through any lie I told her. I sighed.
"Okay, my family's going to kill me for this, but I'll tell you," I said in a quiet voice, so only she could hear. Rose nodded for me to continue. "You have to promise me something first."
"Anything."
"You cannot tell the Doctor." Rose frowned.
"Why not?" she asked.
"You'll understand once I tell you, but you can't tell him, okay? Promise me, Rose," I practically begged.
"Okay. I promise," Rose replied. I sighed in relief and opened my mouth to start telling her the truth when I was cut off.
"Mistletoe," the Doctor said. Rose and I looked over to see him looking at the door. On it was a carving of mistletoe. "Sir Robert, did your father put that there?"
"I don't know. I suppose," he answered. I got up and joined the Doctor, but not before promising Rose quietly that I would tell her later.
"It's on the other door too, Doctor," I said looking at it.
"But a carving wouldn't be enough," the Doctor replied. "I wonder." I watched in curiosity as the Doctor leaned up and… licked the door.
"Eww," I moaned under my breath with a disgusted scowl. Rose had a similar look on her face.
"Viscum album, the oil of the mistletoe," the Doctor concluded. "It's been worked into the wood like a varnish. How clever was your dad? I love him! Powerful stuff, mistletoe, bursting with lectins and viscotoxins."
"And the wolf's allergic to it?" Rose asked.
"Or it thinks it is," the Doctor added. "The monky-monk-monks need a way of controlling the wolf, maybe they trained it to react against certain things."
"Nevertheless, that creature won't give up, Doctor," Robert reminded us, "and we still don't possess and actual weapon."
"Oh, your father got all the brains, didn't he?" the Doctor grumbled.
"Doctor!" I scolded. "That was rude."
"Good, I meant that one," the Doctor replied. "You want weapons? We're in a library. Books! Best weapons in the world." He slipped on his brainy specs. "This room is the best arsenal we could have. Arm yourself." We all began flipping through books, muttering as we went. I was looking through a book on wolf legends when the Doctor jumped down from the ladder.
"Ooo, look what your old dad found," he said to Robert. The Doctor put down the book he was looking in and I saw a picture on the page. In it, something was falling towards the ground. "Something fell to Earth."
"A spaceship?" Rose asked.
"Shooting star," Robert answered. He started reading from the book. "'In the year of our Lord 1540, under the reign of King James Ⅴ, an almighty fire did burn in the pit.' That's the Glen of Saint Catherine, just by the monastery."
"But that's over 300 years ago," Rose pointed out. "What's it been waiting for?"
"Maybe just a single cell survived," the Doctor theorized. "Adapting slowly down the generations, it survived through the humans, host after host after host."
"But why does it want the throne?" Robert asked.
"That's what it wants, it said so. The Empire of the Wolf," Rose remembered.
"Imagine it. The Victorian Age accelerated," the Doctor said. "Starships and missiles fueled by coal and driven by steam, leaving history devastated in its wake." Queen Victoria stood up from her chair.
"Sir Robert, if I am to die here-"
"Don't say that, Your Majesty."
"I would destroy myself rather than let that creature infect me, but that's no matter. I ask only that you find some place of safekeeping for something far older and more precious than myself."
"Hardly the time to worry about your valuable," the Doctor spoke up.
"Thank you for your opinion, but there is nothing more valuable than this." My eyes widened as the Queen pulled a huge, sparkling diamond out of her purse.
"Oh, Your Majesty," Robert breathed.
"Is that the Koh-I-Noor?" Rose asked.
"Oh, yes," the Doctor breathed. "The greatest diamond in the world."
"Given to me as the spoils of war," the Queen said. "Perhaps its legend is now coming true. It is said that whoever owns this must surely die." I frowned.
"Well, isn't that true for every object? I mean, everyone dies eventually," I reasoned.
"Can I?" the Doctor asked. The Queen hesitated for a second before handing him the diamond. I stared at it as it glittered in the Doctor's hand.
"It's beautiful," I breathed.
"How much is that worth?" Rose asked.
"They say, the wages of the entire planet for a whole week," the Doctor said.
"Good job my mum's not here," Rose said. "She'd be fighting the wolf off with her bare hands for that thing."
"And she'd win," the Doctor said.
"Where is the wolf?" Robert asked. "I don't trust this silence." I had been thinking the same thing. It was one thing for the wolf to be gone for a few minutes, but it had been much longer than that. Something was wrong, I could feel it. I began listening very closely for anything that might indicate something was wrong.
"Why do you travel with it?" the Doctor asked the Queen.
"My annual pilgrimage," she said. "I'm taking it to Hellier and Carew, the Royal Jewelers at Hazelhead. The stone needs re-cutting."
"Oh, but it's perfect," Rose protested.
"My late husband never thought so."
"Now, there's a fact," the Doctor said. "Prince Albert kept on having the Koh-I-Noor cut down. It used to be 40% bigger than this, but he was never happy. Kept on cutting and cutting."
"He always said the shine was not quite right, but he died with it still unfinished."
"Unfinished," the Doctor said like he realized something. "Oh, yes. There's a lot of unfinished business in this house. His father's research, your husband, ma'am. He came here and he sought the perfect diamond. Hold on, oh, hold on. All these separate things, they're not separate at all, they're connected. Oh, my head, my head! What if this house… it's a trap for you. Is that right, ma'am?"
"Obviously."
"At least, that's what the wolf intended, but what if there's a trap inside a trap?"
"Explain yourself, Doctor," the Queen commanded. I heard a creak and looked up, my eyes widening at what I saw.
"Doctor…" I tried.
"Not now, Evy."
"It's kind of important."
"Not now! What if his father and your husband weren't just telling each other stories? They dared to imagine all this was true, and they planned something against it. Laying the real trap not for you, but for the wolf."
"Doctor!" I tried again.
"What?"
"I think we should get out of here." I saw him follow my gaze out of the corner of my eye. He saw what I did. Standing on the domed skylight, was the wolf. The glass began to break.
"Out! Out! Out! Out!" The Doctor, Robert, Rose, and I quickly de-barricaded the door and ran out into the hall.
"We've got to get to the observatory!" the Doctor cried. All of us ran, but the wolf quickly gained of Rose and me. I loomed over us and Rose and I let out screams. Suddenly, a liquid came out of nowhere and hit the wolf right in the face. I turned and saw Isobel with the maids.
"Good shot!" the Doctor complimented. He pulled Rose and I back as the wolf howled slightly and retreated.
"It was mistletoe," Flora said.
"Isobel." Robert planted a kiss on her. "Now get back downstairs."
"Keep yourself safe," she said. Soon, she and the girls were headed back to the kitchens.
"Come on. The observatory's this way," the Doctor said. He ran off again, my hand in his. I struggled to keep his fast pace, but managed. Once we got there, I, along with the Doctor, noticed the absence of mistletoe on the doors.
"I just need time," the Doctor said. "Is there any way of barricading this?"
"Do your work and I'll defend it," Robert said. My eyes widened as he said this.
"If we could bind them shut with rope or something."
"I said I'll find you time, sir. Now, get inside." The Doctor looked at him.
"Good man." The Doctor immediately turned and I slipped outside the doors when he wasn't looking.
"Miss Davis? What are you doing?" Robert asked me with wide eyes.
"I'll buy time. You get in there and stay safe," I told him.
"I can't do that, miss." I gave him a look.
"Your wife just saved my life. The least I can do is make sure her husband returns to her alive." Robert didn't have an answer for that. I spied a couple of crossed swords on the wall and removed one of them. "Get in there." Robert didn't argue. In fact, he looked a little relieved. However, right before he went inside, he turned back to me.
"Good luck," he told me. I merely nodded and he went into the observatory. I face the hall, sword in hand, ready for anything. Within a few seconds, I heard the wolf. It was baring its teeth and pawing at the ground when it saw me. I raised my sword when it got too close for comfort.
"You can't kill me," I said. The wolf merely let out a low growl. "My death is fixed. You know what happens when a fixed point is altered. Time itself rips apart. Now, if time rips apart, there won't be any Empire of the Wolf, will there?" The wolf snarled and glared at me, but didn't advance. I tapped into the Doctor's mind, checking in on the progress of the plan. However, the wolf was getting impatient and was starting to get closer and closer, despite the sword. I slowly backed up to the door, ready to throw it open when the time was right. Right as the Doctor's plan was put into motion, the wolf sat back on its haunches, ready to pounce. It jumped and I threw open the door before throwing myself to the side. The wolf flew over me and into the observatory. The wolf was hit with moonlight right as I turned to watch. The wolf was suspended in midair and slowly, but surely, he turned back into the young man it was before.
"Make it brighter," he breathed. "Let me go." The Doctor brightened the light and the boy turned into the silhouette of a wolf. One more howl later, he was gone. I made eye contact with the Doctor and he finally seemed to realize I was not in the observatory. His eyes widened and they darted towards Robert.
"What?" His gaze flicked back to me. "What?"
"Doctor-" I tried.
"What!" I flinched at how loud his voice got and picked myself off the ground.
"Doctor, listen-"
"What were you thinking!" The Doctor ran to me and grabbed my upper arms. He shook me as he talked. "You could've been hurt! Or worse! You shouldn't have been out there! And you," he spun to Robert, "you let her! You put her in danger!" My eyes widened in shock, not at the Doctor's words, but at the ferocity of them. I had never seen him that protective over me… or Rose… of the both of us combined. I went in front of him and grabbed the Doctor's arms.
"Doctor! Listen, this is not his fault. I went out there on my own accord."
"But why? Why would you do that?" the Doctor cried. I sighed, knowing I couldn't tell him that. I slid my hands down to his and put them on my chest, right over my hearts.
"Do you feel that, Doctor?" I whispered. He looked confused. "Those are my hearts beating. Sure, they're going a little faster than normal, but they're beating. That means I'm alive. I'm here, Doctor. I'm alive. There is nothing to worry about. I'm right here, safe, with you." The Doctor immediately scooped me up in a hug. I immediately wrapped my arms around his skinny torso and returned it.
"Don't you ever do that to me again," he said after pulling away. I gave a small smile and laugh and nodded, but didn't really promise anything. The Doctor placed a quick kiss on my forehead before stepping away. He looked at Queen Victoria curiously, who was holding her arm.
"Your Majesty? Did it bite you?" I got a closer look at her arm and saw a cut there.
"No it's… It's a cut, that's all," she said.
"If that thing bit you…"
"It was a piece of glass from when the wolf broke through the skylight. It's nothing."
"Let me see," the Doctor offered.
"It is nothing," the Queen insisted. The Doctor and I exchanged grim looks. Neither of us believed her.
~)8(~
The Doctor, Rose, and I kneeled before the Queen. Robert and Isobel were standing on either side of her.
"By the power invested in me by the Church and State, I dub thee, Sir Doctor of TARDIS." The Queen tapped both of his shoulder with the sword she was holding. By the power invested in me by the Church and State, I dub thee, Dame Rose of the Powell Estate." She tapped Rose's soldiers.
"By the power invested in me by the Church and State, I dub thee, Dame Evelyn Viviana of TARDIS." I blushed slightly at that. When Queen Victoria had inquired about where we were from, I hadn't known how to answer. I was about to say the neighborhood where I lived with Grandpapa when the Doctor cut me off and said "TARDIS", which earned a silly smile from me and a cheeky wink from Rose.
"You may stand." The three of us did.
"Many thanks, ma'am," the Doctor said.
"Thanks," Rose breathed. "They're never going to believe this back home."
"It's such an honor," I added. The Queen merely looked at the three of us.
"Your Majesty, you said last night about receiving no messages from the great beyond," the Doctor started. "I think your husband cut that diamond to save your life. He's protecting you even now, ma'am, from beyond the grave."
"Indeed," the Queen replied. "Then you may think on this also, that I am not amused."
"Yes!" I breathed. Rose and the Doctor groaned and I laughed. "Oh, yes!"
"Not remotely amused. And henceforth, I banish you." My smile fell and I exchanged confused and nervous looks with the Doctor and Rose.
"I'm sorry?" the Doctor asked.
"I rewarded you, Sir Doctor, and now you are exiled from this Empire, never to return. I don't know what you are, the three of you, or where you're from, but I know that you consort with stars and magic, and think it fun. But your world is steeped in terror and blasphemy and death, and I will not allow it. You will leave these shores, and you will reflect, I hope, on how you came to stray so far from all that is good and how much longer you may survive this terrible life. Now leave my world, and never return."
~)8(~
The Doctor, Rose and I managed to catch a ride out to the countryside where the TARDIS was parked. The man let us off his cart and we walked towards the blue box I now considered home.
"No, but the funny thing is, Queen Victoria actually did suffer a mutation of the blood. It's historical record. She was haemophiliac. They used to call it the Royal Disease, but it's always been a mystery because she didn't inherit it. Her mum didn't have it. Her dad didn't have it. It came from nowhere," the Doctor told me and Rose.
"What, and you're saying that's a wolf bite?" Rose asked.
"Well, maybe haemophilia is just a Victorian euphemism," the Doctor said.
"For werewolf?" Rose asked.
"Could be." I rolled my eyes, but had a smile on my face. He was being discreet on purpose, just to mess with Rose.
"Queen Victoria's a werewolf?"
"Could be. And her children had the Royal Disease. Maybe she gave them a quick nip."
"So the royal family are werewolves?" Rose asked, almost not believing it.
"Well, maybe not yet."
"A single wolf cell could take a century to mature, Rose," I piped in. The Doctor smirked.
"Might be ready by, oh, early 21st century," the Doctor finished.
"No, that's just ridiculous," Rose said. "Mind you, Princess Anne.
"I'll say no more," the Doctor said.
"And if you think about it, they're very private. They plan everything in advance. They could schedule themselves around the moon. We'd never know. And they like hunting. They love blood sports." The Doctor and I stepped into the TARDIS smirking at each other. "Oh, my God! They're werewolves!" The Doctor and I laughed while flying the TARDIS into the time vortex. Once she was floating, I walked over to Rose.
"I'll meet you in your room in a couple minutes, okay?" I said. Rose turned serious and nodded. She gave a quick excuse to the Doctor and went off.
"Um, Doctor?" He looked at me. "I just wanted to apologize."
"For what?" he asked looking genuinely confused.
"When you asked me what was wrong, I came off as moody, snippy, and secretive, and I didn't mean for that to happen. I was just feeling overwhelmed and I'm really sorry," I said. I looked down, feeling really guilty about that. I felt the Doctor place his fingers under my chin and raise it to make me look at him.
"You were right," he said. "I do have secrets. Both you and Rose respect that, more so than a lot of others have. It should only seem fair that I do the same for you. Although, not sure how many secrets you and Rose could have, considering I'm 901, you're 20, and she's 19." I laughed.
"True," I couldn't help but agree.
"But you will tell me someday, right?" I looked up at him, his brown eyes serious and hopeful at the same time.
"I promised I would," I said. Then, I smiled. "Don't lose faith in me now, Doc." The Doctor rolled his eyes slightly at the nickname, but smiled. I stood on my toes and kissed his cheek, making him smile wider. "Goodnight, Doctor."
"Night, Evy." I turned and walked towards Rose's room. When I got there, she had changed into pajamas and looked ready for some sleep. I didn't blame her. We had been running around all day and night. I was rather tired myself. I sat down next to her on the bed and bit my lip. I didn't quite know how to start.
"Rose, do you know what a fixed point in time is?" I asked her. She shook her head. "Well, most things are in a flux. That means you can change them and affect them and it won't really matter. Fixed points are things that need to happen. If they don't, time itself could rip apart. An example of a fixed point is Pompeii getting destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius."
"Okay, I get it," Rose said. I bit my lip.
"Well, there's no real easy way to say this, so I'll just say it. My death is fixed." Rose's eyes widened.
"What? Are you sure?" she asked.
"Positive. I don't think my family would lie to me about something like that." Rose's face fell, she understood.
"But why?" she breathed.
"There was a Visionary, or a Seer, on the Doctor's planet who came to my planet with a prophecy. It's called the Prophecy of the Nyx Oriana. It states that the last of the Incolae will give all her years to save the last Time Lord."
"You and the Doctor," Rose realized. "But… your name's not Nyx Oriana." I shut my eyes to prevent tears from forming.
"I had been conceived about 6 months before the prophecy was spoken. I had already been named. I didn't know, Rose. I truly didn't. Just like I believed I was human, I thought my name was Evelyn Viviana Davis." Rose's eyes widened. "I had already been named before the prophecy was spoken. My name is Nyx Oriana." Rose's eyes widened even further and I put my head in my hands.
"Viv… We'll figure this out. I promise, the Doctor can-"
"No! The Doctor can't know, Rose," I said firmly.
"Why not?"
"Because if he knew, he'd do everything in his power to stop it and you know it."
"So?"
"So, if he were to prevent this, time itself would rip apart." Rose froze, finally realizing why the Doctor couldn't know. "The end of time is worse than me dying."
"Not to me!" I fell silent. "And I'm pretty sure the Doctor feels the same way."
"You don't know that."
"God, Viv. Are you that blind?" I stared at her in confusion. "Do you really not see just how much the Doctor cares for you?"
"He cares for me like he does all his companions," I said. "That's all there is to it." Rose gave me an incredulous look, but sighed.
"Do you know when it's going to happen?" I shook my head.
"No. It could be tomorrow or in 500 years," I replied. "Now do you see why the Doctor can't know? He can't even know my real name, because then he would figure it out." Rose nodded.
"We'll figure this out," she said. I nodded, giving her a small smile. Though, I wasn't sure if she was trying to convince me… or herself. I got up to go to my room, but stopped at the door.
"Can you do me one more favor?" I asked. "Continue calling me 'Viv' or 'Viviana?' Nyx Oriana may be my given name, but it's not my name." Rose beamed and nodded eagerly.
"Yeah, yeah I can do that." I smiled.
"Night, Rose. Thanks for listening."
"Goodnight, Viv." With that, I left Rose's room, feeling like a large weight had been lifted off my shoulders.
Here's the update you've all been waiting for. Hope you all like it :)
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